Robotics & Automation News

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Vattenfall and Echandia Marine develop electric ferry with ‘superfast charging’

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Energy supplier Vattenfall and engineering company Echandia Marine claim they have developed a new solution for electric ferries that can “minimise emissions and noise and at the same time lower operational and maintenance costs and provide superfast charging”.

The systems are installed on E/S Movitz that operates in central Stockholm and can be fully charged within 10 minutes with up to 500 kW charging power.

Vattenfall and Echandia Marine have together developed a new concept that can contribute to a more sustainable transport solution for different types of boats and ferries. [Read more…] about Vattenfall and Echandia Marine develop electric ferry with ‘superfast charging’

‘Snow-how’: Finns develop autonomous snow removal vehicles

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Robotic vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers are already reality, but can the same idea be applied to a 7-ton machine clearing snow from an airstrip?

To show it can, Valtra and Nokian Tyres partnered up with three other Finnish companies in March 2019 for a joint proof-of-concept project at the European Union’s northernmost airport.

Two Valtra T254 Versu equipped with Nokian Hakkapeliitta TRI tyres and each pulling a 4.5 m wide sweeper blower autonomously cleared the runway at Ivalo airport in Finnish Lapland.

[Read more…] about ‘Snow-how’: Finns develop autonomous snow removal vehicles

Komatsu develops electric mini excavator

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Komatsu Ltd has unveiled its electric mini excavator, based on its accumulated technological expertise of hybrid construction equipment and electric forklift trucks.

Equipped with an in-house developed new charger, high-voltage converter and other devices, it offers excavation performance on a par with the internal combustion model of the same power output, while achieving zero exhaust gas emissions and a dynamic reduction in noise levels.

Komatsu expects a wider range of applications for this machine, including construction work near hospitals or schools or in residential areas, where contractors pay special attention to exhaust gas and noise during work, as well as inside tunnels or buildings.

[Read more…] about Komatsu develops electric mini excavator

Swisslog wins two large orders in Scandinavia and Southeast Asia

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Swisslog has been commissioned to carry out the comprehensive automation of the Coop warehouse in Langhus.

The delivery includes a high-bay pallet warehouse with six Vectura stacker cranes and a conveyor system, which are controlled by the intelligent Swisslog software SynQ.

 The new distribution centre will be in full operation at the beginning of 2021.

[Read more…] about Swisslog wins two large orders in Scandinavia and Southeast Asia

Doctor, I shrunk the robot. Or… Out of their tiny little robotic minds

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By Chris Wagner, head of advanced surgical systems at Cambridge Consultants

Surgical robots today are large and unwieldy. This causes a number of challenges in the operating theatre. 

Setting up and managing the robots, for example, takes up valuable operating time. It’s also difficult to swap a robot in and out of a surgical procedure if traditional tools are more appropriate for some elements of an operation. And there are safety issues when clinical staff work in close proximity to a large piece of moving equipment.

So a surgeon has to weigh the benefits of surgical robotics against these limitations for each procedure where a robot is used.

There is an opportunity here – if we can simply make the robot smaller, many of these limitations disappear. It is much easier to move a small robot into an operating theatre, put it into position for an operation and move it out again afterwards. The safety concerns are also much reduced.  [Read more…] about Doctor, I shrunk the robot. Or… Out of their tiny little robotic minds

Omron launches its first IO-Link-compliant factory automation devices

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Omron says its IO-Link-compliant factory automation devices will make production equipment smarter 

Omron is launching the IO-Link-compliant Photoelectric Sensors E3Z, Color Mark Photoelectric Sensors E3S-DC Series, Proximity Sensors E2E and E2EQ Series, and IO-Link Master Units GX and NX Series all at once as a first step of integrating sensors into the internet of things (IoT). 

The company says its new technologies are “ideal for use at manufacturing sites”.

Omron says the launch of the IO-Link-compliant sensors is a “big step” in making production equipment smarter to add various information and communication functions to over 100,000 specifications of control components for factory automation devices and achieve integration of factory automation and information and communications technology.  [Read more…] about Omron launches its first IO-Link-compliant factory automation devices

Innomech and FCS partner to offer medical automation solutions

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innomech medical

Innomech, an advanced automation solution provider, has partnered with FCS Automation to provide an integrated approach of robotics and automation to medical device manufacturers.

Innomech is an automation solution provider company based in England, UK that renders fully validated solutions for manufacturing and inspection problems.

FCS Automation is specialises in product lifecycle control systems, helping clients across the globe with safety critical applications.  [Read more…] about Innomech and FCS partner to offer medical automation solutions